Novel Synthesis of Bionanomaterials by Conversion of Potato Peels and Adsorption Studies of Ni on Prepared Surface

The current research aimed to synthesize bionanomaterial (BNM) using potato peels (PPs) and their application in eliminating the toxic metals from wastewater. For this purpose, an effort has been made to convert PPs at the nanoscale for their use as bio-nanosurfaces, while Ni solution was selected as wastewater for investigation. The potato peels were collected from the fries shop and transported to the Department of Chemistry at the University of Karachi, where they were thoroughly washed, dried, ignited and ground to convert them into finely powdered bio-nanoparticles (BNPs). The fine particles were subjected to FTIR, SEM and EDS. The FTIR spectrum established that COOH and OH functional groups are present in the synthesized BNPs and recognized for being active in the adsorption of Ni (II) ions from solution during sorption studies. SEM analysis confirmed the conversion of PPs into BNP (89.5-94.3 nm), while EDS showed some essential metals like Na, K, Ca and Mg. The kinetics of the metal sorption was investigated at several operational parameters, such as the impact of pH, adsorbent concentration, initial metal (Ni) concentration, and contact time and sorption. It was observed that adsorption was of the pseudo first order. Langmuir and Freundlich's models were applied where the Freundlich model best fitted to sorption studies The BNM particles were collected after sorption studies via filtration, washed, and dried. Subsequently, they experienced SEM, EDS, and FTIR analysis for potential reuse, suggesting their efficacy in efficiently removing the metal ions. It was concluded that the bio-nanomaterial prepared by potato peels could effectively be used as the best future technique for the control of heavy metals; however, further trials are recommended for the application of this venture.